Steven Pinker: A brief history of violence

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Steven Pinker: A brief history of violence

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http://www.ted.com Steven Pinker charts the decline of violence from Biblical times to the present, and argues that, though it may seem illogical and even obscene, given Iraq and Darfur, we are living in the most peaceful time in our species' existence.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers are invited to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes -- including speakers such as Jill Bolte Taylor, Sir Ken Robinson, Hans Rosling, Al Gore and Arthur Benjamin. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, politics and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at
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You argued that the ... ( 2 months ago by flamablesteve)

You argued that the "linear thinking" of quantitative death rates as opposed to qualitative death is "blind" suggesting earlier deaths where somehow more honorable.
I'm saying its not blind, because earlier deaths were not "honorable".
Quantitative is the only way to look at it.

"Quantitative is ... ( 2 months ago by Zeitschen)

"Quantitative is the only way to look at it."
You want to understand history and violence, I suggest you stay back in arithmetic class.
My point was that the way someone dies is relevant and not just that they died since that is an inevitability and surer even than arithmetic.

i can't believe he ... ( 2 months ago by trycoun)

i can't believe he really has the stomach to refer to mainstream media as a "source".
where did this man get his grade, if any.
dangerous approach, in my view.

It is interesting ... ( 2 months ago by sinshine1985)

It is interesting how much the media changes our views... statistically in the 1950's teenagers were more sexually active and more violent, but at that time a pregnant 16-yr old wasn't national news, nor was a kid getting stabbed at school... now one kid dies or gets pregnant and it's on CNN for a week.

bachelor's degree ... ( 2 months ago by RWFW)

bachelor's degree in experimental psychology from McGill University. doctorate from Harvard. He did research at the MIT, became an assistant professor at Harvard and then Stanford University, then MIT, and eventually became the director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. As of 2008, he is the Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard.
not too shabby.
not too shabby.

Thank you. Someone ... ( 2 months ago by SpFiota)

Thank you. Someone who realizes the world was a much, much worse place in the past.

Violence? Well, ... ( 1 month ago by forgotmypassword3)

Violence? Well, things aren't eating us as often.
Yes, we will die by media and thoughtless thoughts in the future.

I'm missing the ... ( 1 month ago by LastReplaySC)

I'm missing the relation of exponential population growth rates, that kicked in with beginning of the industrialized age. basically because the birthrate has just simply outrun the killing rate in the 20th century doesn't mean that the 20th century is less violent. .... I can get all statistics to lie for my tail. This guy is a paid propagandist! the pharma industries kills more people than all wars and killings and accidents together ...

Why did not he ... ( 3 weeks ago by Alexiytag)

Why did not he mention Zionism when he spoke about Hitler, Stalin and so on?

I might have missed ... ( 3 weeks ago by nakedhand)

I might have missed something crucial in this mediocre lecture, but how can he say that humans were more violent back in a time, when we did not have weapons of mass destruction?

don't judge the ... ( 3 weeks ago by Ponyototoro)

don't judge the talk as mediocre if you didn't even pay attention

Great lectures keep ... ( 3 weeks ago by nakedhand)

Great lectures keep one interested. This fellow kept on showcasing his flawed reasoning. Eventually it got boring and I hit the stop button. I should not have made a comment and hurt your feelings. Sorry.

Well wife beating, ... ( 3 weeks ago by adolthitler)

Well wife beating, childbeating were accepted norms. Religious pesecution was way more common, and savage.

Birth rates should ... ( 3 weeks ago by adolthitler)

Birth rates should accelerate violent death rate too, unless of course violence is falling, per capita. Your own argument points to you being wrong, and Pinker being right.

pharmacy industries ... ( 3 weeks ago by LastReplaySC)

pharmacy industries kills more than all together = fact
his theories does not incorporate that what so ever. what is there not to understand

Well you have to ... ( 3 weeks ago by adolthitler)

Well you have to prove that first.
His theories make sense as they are.

it's crap, every ... ( 3 weeks ago by LastReplaySC)

it's crap, every population birth death clock you can google proves my point without a doubt.
There is no need to deny or ignore the fact
the violence of the the killing is only interpreted as "medical human error" this error has always been there and is killing more then it ever has done in the past, relative to the population growth.
95% of medication does nothing but make you sicker than you were, it has become an accepted fact, but profit is made with this violence.

I was a pretty ... ( 2 weeks ago by LusoCMD)

I was a pretty agressive guy when I was younger, but age and the fact that I went into the special forces made me realize that man need a way to prove themselves and once that is proven they become much more pacified, the only reason i would bring that part of me back would be if my family, country or some near outrageous injustice was being pratice in front of me, I know now that it would have been very difficult for me to go for Iraq because I just dont believe in what I am fighting for

Array ( 2 weeks ago by SpFiota)

Accepted by whom?
You're throwing out bold claims without any backing. If you want to be taken seriously you're going to have to do better than that. What are your sources? Do you even have sources?

Do your own ... ( 2 weeks ago by LastReplaySC)

Do your own research on in.
Start with FDA passing requirements. You only have to prove that your medication works on 5% of the patients without them dieing within 2-4 years from the medication.... as soon as your talking treatments and a medication mix with all the long & short term side effect things just get out of hand and you end up always signing papers & agreements to be a human test lab! accepting the poisoning that could lead to your death!

Everything You Know ... ( 2 weeks ago by jamesrobertdobbs)

Everything You Know is Wrong is also the title of an excellent comedy album by Firesign Theater.

How can the two ... ( 4 days ago by flyhead2)

How can the two great wars be excluded from these models? These both happened less than 4 generations ago; a blink in time. The conclusion referring to a Leviathan orderer assumes that we disregard this slaughter and therefore seems flawed and unsettling. The assumptions for the causes of war seem to ignore the political (small p) and covert.

Its interesting how ... ( 3 days ago by nspeert)

Its interesting how religious fundamentalists preach that religion is the only antidote against the 'moral decline' that's apparently occurring. But if Pinkers right the declining religious rate could be what's behind the decline in violent deaths.

Furthermore the ... ( 11 hours ago by djlookwood)

Furthermore the issue is not a question of numbers - it is a question of actualised violence, not as a fraction or statistical difference, it is a question of honestly appraising how our culture operates. The fact that so many people oppose the wars, the greed and yet still Governments pursue such wars indicates that amongst ordinary people violence is lessing whereas states and corporations continue to behave increasingly violent.
Lockheed, Boeing etc etc..

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